My Flickriver

Posts tagged ‘Cheese’

This dish might not rank extremely high on the health scale but I still,I think it was a pretty healthy alternative to a classic sandwich.

You see, the weather has finally been summer like this week-end, so we sort of kicked off summer by firing up the BBQ.

While I don’t eat much beef anymore, there is one thing that I will always enjoy and indulge in once in a while, and that is a nice, big, juicy ribsteak cooked on the BBQ. It’s always been and always will be one of my guilty pleasures. Seeing that I like my steaks cooked Pittsburgh style(charred on the outside while still raw on the inside), I always have to have the butcher custom cut me a couple of really thick steaks, which, of course, always end up weighing well over a pound.

There was a time when I was able to eat the whole thing, with a side of potato and salad. No more! There is no way I could go through that entire piece of meat, so I always end up with quite a decent chunk of leftover steak to use in such a sandwich.

Not a bad way to use leftover steak, if you ask me! Although it does lack a bit in the veggie department, I admit…

This one was pretty easy to make.

Ingredients for one sandwich

175g leftover steak

4 mushrooms, sliced and cooked

20g goat cheese, crumbled

20g blue cheese, crumbled

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

1 whole grain sandwich loaf

Instructions

Coat skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Cook mushrooms until nice and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Cut loaf in half lenthtwise and toast lightly in toaster.

Cut the leftover steak in very thin slices.

When bread is ready, spread mustard on bottom half.

Mound steak, top with mushrooms and goat cheese and blue cheese crumbles.

Put in the oven on broil (do not top sandwich just yet, keep top piece on the side) for about 5 minutes, just to soften cheese and heat meat slightly.

My daughter baked this one while I was at work, so when I came home, it was all done and ready to eat.

As soon as I set foot in the doorway, I was floored. I just could not believe the smell that was emanating from my oven. I tell you, chocolate cake itself has NOTHING on that one. It was UN-BE-LEE-VA-BLE! I thought I had just died and went to heaven. Seriously, I never thought salmon pie could smell THAT good!

I think it has a little bit to do with the crust. This one is now my official alternative to pie crust. The fact that it was my daughter who made it probably helps too… you see, I think she has a special gift when it comes to making pie crust. Hers is always soooo much better, and this time was no exception. I mean, the thing was almost flaky, despite the fact that it containsclose to no fat! I don’t know how she does it, but I sure wish she would share her secret! 😉

As for the filling… oh my yum! All those chunks of tender potatoes, and big pieces of salmon, the subtle taste of the cheese, the occasional crunch from the peas and corn, all this brought together by the creaminess of the potatoes that were mashed with buttermilk and plain yogurt. OOOOH! Wow. I’ve never tasted salmon piethat good before. From now on, for me, THIS, is salmon pie. Let’s just say that never again, I will wonder what to do with that leftover salmon!!!

And you know what the best part is? I think even Mr. Shy Salmon realized just how good a dish he had just served in creating, because this time, he accepted to pose proudly for the camera! YAY!!! (although my batteries did die half-way through the shoot and I had to give them a quick charge… did anybody say jinx?)

I chose to serve this with a super quick and easy fennel salad. I shall give you that recipe in a separate post.

I’m starting to think that my salmon suffers from excessive shyness. Bummer! I was so looking forward to showing him off. Looks like he had other plans…

You see, this salmon was given to me by one of my coworkers, who happens to be an avid fly fisherman. Strangely enough, though, he doesn’t care much for fish. So once in a while, when he goes on a fishing trip, I get to be the lucky one who gets to enjoy the “fruit of his labor”.

For some reason, it looks like that particular fish doesn’t want to show his face to the world. Oh, he was a beautiful specimen allright, you know, he has nothing to be ashamed of… I suspect he’s ashamed he got caught and he doesn’t want his buddies to recognize him or something…

I mean seriously, when I initially oven baked it, my pictures came out absolutely awful, so I swore to him I would not show them to anyone. At first, I thought it was my fault, you know, pictures don’t always come out right, now, do they?

But seeing how the second dish in which he was showcased also came out not so good (in picture, I mean… the dish itself was delish!), I’m starting to suspect that Mr. Salmon must’ve jinxed my camera or something… I mean the pictures aren’t soooo bad, really, but you can see that he is definitely HIDING, as if he was just REFUSING to show his face again… Even with all that bright light, you can barely make him out. Only if you look real hard, you can see little pieces here and there…

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! Some of you might have read in my weekly menu that I had plans to eat mussels at some point this week if they were available at my local grocery store? Well… I did manage to get some, except they were almost all dead!!! Needless to say they went right back to the store. GRRRRRRR!

Seriously, what is it with all things fish being against me this week?

Ingredients(serves 3)

225g – 250g whole wheat spaghetti

1 small onion, diced

3-4 mushrooms, sliced

1 cup broccoli florets

1 tbsp dried oregano

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

250g cooked salmon

2 cups soy milk

50g sharp cheddar

60g low fat cream cheese

1 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package direction

Meanwhile, in large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook mushrooms over medium heat until they are nice and brown on both sides.